Tonight, WWE Raw broadcast live from Brussels, Belgium as part of a three-week tour to Europe on the road to WrestleMania 41. We were promised that John Cena and Cody Rhodes would appear under the same roof, and boy, it didn’t disappoint. Here’s everything that went down.
John Cena Eviscerates the WWE Universe

As Cena made his way to the ring, the WWE Universe erupted in boos, as he entered to his usual music with his usual attire donned, but this was a flat and unenergetic Cena, at least until he was between the ropes. After threatening to leave a couple of times before even starting, Cena delivered a scathing takedown of the fans, declaring that for 25 years, they had treated him as nothing more than a puppet. He claimed he was never truly loved or accepted and that, no matter how hard he worked, it was never enough. Then the crowd told him to “shut the f*ck up.” Yikes.
Cena tore into the fans in the arena and around the world as he accused them of being toxic and selfish, stating that they used him as a scapegoat for their own failures, and said that he didn’t give a damn about the “sons of b*tches” in the WWE Universe who cheered or booed him. He even created a sensational new meme by telling a young fan in the front row that he was in a “toxic relationship” with him, to the bemusement of the kid — whose reaction is already going viral.
As chants for Cody Rhodes echoed through the arena, Rhodes’ music hit, and he stormed down to the ring. Rhodes acknowledged that Cena had endured his share of criticism but reminded him that the fans also gave him their best. He questioned what had become of the man he once admired and warned Cena that if this was the version of him that showed up at WrestleMania 41, it would be his last match. Rhodes walked out while Cena stood menacingly and waited, before stalking him out of the arena.
Penta Earns a Big Win Over Ludwig Kaiser

The long-simmering rivalry between Penta and Ludwig Kaiser exploded in a brutal No Holds Barred match following weeks of back and forth. The two wasted no time throwing fists, with Kaiser sending Penta over the barricade early on, before Penta responded with a hurricanrana off the barricade that sent Kaiser crashing into the ring post. It got more heated when Kaiser retrieved steel chairs from under the ring, but Penta countered with a top-rope dive, wiping him out. Kaiser retaliated with a Death Valley Driver onto the announce table.
Penta seized control late in the match after a nice bit of back and forth, delivering a Mexican Destroyer onto a chair, followed by the Penta Driver for the win. In the post-match, Penta declared he was going after Bron Breakker’s Intercontinental Championship.
Rhea Ripley Signs and Seals Her Road To WrestleMania

The tension between Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky has been escalating since Elimination Chamber, and tonight, they made their WrestleMania 41 showdown official—but they might not be alone in the ring. Sky took the mic first, making it clear that she wouldn’t tolerate disrespect from Belair, Rhea Ripley, or anyone else. Belair fired back, saying she respected Sky but would remind her who she really is at WrestleMania. With both women signing the contract, the segment seemed to be ending peacefully—until Ripley’s music hit. The former champion, still seething after losing the Women’s World Championship to Sky, stormed to the ring.
Before security could intervene, Ripley powerbombed Sky onto Belair, sending a clear message that she wasn’t done with the title picture, and grabbing the contract, signing her name on the legally binding document too — which seemed to, in her mind, make the title match at ‘Mania a triple threat encounter. Not sure the lawyers will see it that way, but why not?

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Jey Uso Gets the Better of Gunther

With WrestleMania 41 fast approaching, Jey Uso took on Austin Theory, seeking to build momentum ahead of his World Heavyweight Championship match against Gunther, and this was definitely the way to do it, as Uso quickly speared his annoying opponent and pinned him within a minute. After the match, Uso got the better of Theory and Grayson Waller, although he nearly took himself out with a botched dive to the outside. Suddenly, Gunther appeared, looking to put Jey to sleep again, but Jey was ready this time, countering by grabbing the World Heavyweight Championship and showing he wasn’t backing down from the challenge.
Bron Breakker Retains, While The Judgment Day Implodes

In the main event, Bron Breakker defended his Intercontinental Championship against Finn Balor, who has been angling for a title shot while The Judgment Day’s internal conflicts continued. Balor attempted to outmaneuver Breakker with speed, but the champion’s raw power was too much. Balor landed a dropkick into the corner and went for the Coup de Grâce, but Breakker countered with a Frankensteiner off the top rope after an inadvertent interference from Dominik Mysterio crotched Balor on the top rope, followed by a spear for the victory. After the match, Mysterio and Carlito tried to attack Breakker, but Penta stormed the ring and chased them off. As the show went off the air, Breakker and Penta had an intense staredown, with Breakker raising his title high. Is this our next ‘Mania match?
Cena’s return will rightly get all the highlights, but this was also a fun, propulsive show with a lot of the undercard getting some love and attention. With just weeks to go, the road to WrestleMania 41 is heating up. Next week, we head to Glasgow, Scotland, where Cena, Rhodes, and CM Punk will be in the building. That one won’t go down quietly. Stay tuned for more WWE updates.

WWE Raw

Release Date

January 11, 1993

Directors

Kevin Dunn

Writers

Daniel Truly, Paul Heyman, Patrice O’Neal, Virgil Runnels, Stephanie McMahon

Chris Mordetzky

Chris Masters

Maria Kanellis-Bennett

Maria